Question 1

What does dagegen mean here, and why not just gegen?

Accepted Answer

- dagegen = “against it/that.” It’s a da-compound that replaces a prepositional phrase like gegen das [X].
- With sein, dagegen sein means “to be opposed.”
- gegen alone needs an explicit object: Er ist gegen den Plan. If you don’t name the object, use dagegen.
- Don’t use dagegen for people; say gegen ihn/sie instead.

Question 2

Why is there a comma before was mich überrascht?

Accepted Answer

Because was mich überrascht is a subordinate relative clause. German requires a comma before every subordinate clause. This clause comments on the whole preceding statement.

Question 3

Why is it was and not das or welches?

Accepted Answer

When a relative clause refers to an entire preceding statement (or to indefinites like alles, nichts, etwas), German uses was, not das/welches.
- Er kam zu spät, was mich ärgerte.
- Alles, was ich will, ist Ruhe.
Using das/welches in this function is unidiomatic in standard German.

Question 4

In was mich überrascht, who is the subject, and why is mich accusative?

Accepted Answer

- was is the subject (“the fact [that he’s against it]”).
- mich is the direct object because überraschen takes the accusative: Es überrascht mich → …, was mich überrascht.

Question 5

Could I write Mein Bruder ist gegen without an object?

Accepted Answer

No. gegen is a preposition and must have an object. Either add one (Mein Bruder ist gegen den Vorschlag) or use the pronoun dagegen (Mein Bruder ist dagegen).

Question 6

Is dagegen also “on the other hand”?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in other contexts dagegen can mean “by contrast/on the other hand”:
- Der Film war gut. Das Buch dagegen war langweilig.
In your sentence it means “against it,” not “on the other hand.”

Question 7

Why is the verb at the end of was mich überrascht?

Accepted Answer

It’s a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses the finite verb goes to the end:
- …, was mich (sehr) überrascht.

Question 8

Does was mich überrascht refer to dagegen or to the whole previous statement?

Accepted Answer

To the whole statement: “The fact that my brother is against it surprises me.” It’s not “against which,” but “which (fact) surprises me.”

Question 9

Can I move dagegen to another position?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for emphasis/contrast you can front it:
- Neutral: Mein Bruder ist dagegen.
- Emphatic/contrastive: Dagegen ist mein Bruder.
Both are correct; the second highlights the contrast.

Question 10

Are there natural alternatives to say the same thing?

Accepted Answer

- Ich bin überrascht, dass mein Bruder dagegen ist.
- Mein Bruder ist dagegen. Das überrascht mich.
These are slightly more explicit and very idiomatic.

Question 11

Could I use wundern or erstaunen instead of überraschen?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with nuance:
- Das wundert mich = that puzzles/surprises me (milder, very common).
- Das überrascht mich = that surprises me (neutral).
- Das erstaunt mich = that astonishes me (stronger, more formal).
So: Mein Bruder ist dagegen, was mich wundert/erstaunt.

Question 12

How do I ask what he is against?

Accepted Answer

- Things/ideas: Wogegen ist dein Bruder? — Er ist dagegen.
- People: Gegen wen ist dein Bruder? — Er ist gegen ihn/sie.
Use wo- + preposition for things; use wen for people.

Question 13

Why Mein and not Meine Bruder?

Accepted Answer

Bruder is masculine nominative singular, so the possessive is mein Bruder (no ending). Feminine would be meine Schwester, plural meine Brüder.

Question 14

Can I say …, was mich überrascht hat instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes. …, was mich überrascht hat puts the surprise in the (recent) past. …, was mich überrascht presents it as a current reaction. Both are fine depending on context.

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